Crusader Kings 2 Thread II: Sparkly Vampire Invasion

[Flickerdart]

So, I've a question. How do you make Non-Republican countries into Republics?

You can't, really - CK2 is a game about dynasties, and if you converted a monarchy to a republic, the king wouldn't be around no mo'.

What you can do is take a Mayor of a coastal county, grant him the county, and then grant him the duchy that county is in. It will turn into a vassal Merchant Republic, which you can then release if you want, reload the game, and select to play as that republic. This way you can create ahistoric merchant states such as an early Hansa, but be careful about your Trade Practices technology.

[Leecros]

You can't, really - CK2 is a game about dynasties, and if you converted a monarchy to a republic, the king wouldn't be around no mo'.

Despite this, There was still that oddity that i posted at some point either in this thread or the first thread where the "Kingdom" of Italy turned into a theocracy. So, such transformations must be theoretically possible.

[ObadiahtheSlim]

Well if a bishop had his claim to k_Italy pushed, then Italy could become a theocracy. I've not seen anything like that happen though.

[Hydranova]

I've seen the Pope become King of France. I'm not sure how, though- maybe he had a claim that factored into a faction war?

[Artanis]

There's basically two ways to switch between government types: ridiculously convoluted claim shenanigans, or the not-quite-as-convoluted tag-switch shenanigans that Flickerdart described. Either way, there is no "become a republic" button that I know of. And either way, AFAIK being a Count-level mayor or any level Theocracy is instant Game Over for the player anyways.

[tonberrian]

Is there any easy way to vassalize Mercenary companies?

[ObadiahtheSlim]

Is there any easy way to vassalize Mercenary companies?

Play as Egypt or the ERE. They get the Mamluks and Varangian Guard respectivly.

Failing that, not really. They have to become landed some how, and that is nigh impossible. Then you'd have to push a claim against them or otherwise get them to accept vassalization.

[Grytorm]

I read a way to become a merchant republic once. Although this might qualify as ridiculously complicated and I never tested it. You get rid of all counties except one. Get rid of the mayor in the county and appoint your son to the position. Make your vassal bishop and your son rebel against you. Then surrender to the bishop. I think then your son gains the county with the town as his main holding.

[ObadiahtheSlim]

I read a way to become a merchant republic once. Although this might qualify as ridiculously complicated and I never tested it. You get rid of all counties except one. Get rid of the mayor in the county and appoint your son to the position. Make your vassal bishop and your son rebel against you. Then surrender to the bishop. I think then your son gains the county with the town as his main holding.

You need a duke or king tier title for that to work. You also sometimes get a game over. However you can still play from the final save. That's how I got my current ironman norse merchant republic.

[Flickerdart]

Failing that, not really. They have to become landed some how, and that is nigh impossible.

Just hire a bunch of mercs, then go bankrupt. Many will disband, but some will take up arms against you. Let them win the county they want, then strike back with a de jure conquest.

[ObadiahtheSlim]

Just hire a bunch of mercs, then go bankrupt. Many will disband, but some will take up arms against you. Let them win the county they want, then strike back with a de jure conquest.

It's still not reliable since it's hard to get a de jure claim on that or to get them to peace out after taking only 1 county.

[Rockphed]

It's still not reliable since it's hard to get a de jure claim on that or to get them to peace out after taking only 1 county.

If you are smart about it, you can "go bankrupt" while having lots of soldiers ready to put down the invasion. You normally have problems because the mercenaries are several hundred, if not thousand, strong and they revolt in the midst of a war that you needed mercenaries to win. If you hire a bunch of mercenaries while being a king or emperor in peace time, you probably can raise a significant vassal levy to put down the mercenaries. Or you could have a retinue or three.

[GreenSerpent]

So it's not much, but I started in 1066 as the Duke of Bohemia, vassal of the HRE. I quickly got myself the Kingdom, but then started having internal wars as my brothers fought for the throne. I had to hire loads of mercenaries to defeat them, and was in a tenous situation.

Then I realised that my nephew was the Byzantine Emperor and I had Elective succession and controlled all the elector titles. After naming him as my successor my character promptly then got rendered Incapable when he was whacked on the head sieging one of his brother's castles. Then he died.

From King of Bohemia to Byzantine Emperor. I then proceeded to conquer most of Croatia and Georgia before I died and the Empire passed to his child son. Said child son turned out to be really quite good.

I then consolidated my bases, conquered Rome, Alexandria and expanded my borders slightly before launching a Holy War for Jerusalem. After beating the Sejluk and Fatimid Sultanates I then conquered Jerusalem and mended the Great Schism (thanks in part due to the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre - 300 gold donations OP). Currently the game is on that character's son, Kaiser Sezima II, who's in his 50s and probably about to pass the throne on to his son Kaiser Sezima III. The year is 1183, all successions are Ultimogeniture.

Not too bad for a first major-ish game! Screenshot enclosed below, the map doesn't want to upload to imgur for me.

Spoiler

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[Avilan the Grey]

I need to continue my playthrough. I still get a giggle of how and whom I have in my dungeon

[Rockphed]

So it's not much, but I started in 1066 as the Duke of Bohemia, vassal of the HRE. I quickly got myself the Kingdom, but then started having internal wars as my brothers fought for the throne. I had to hire loads of mercenaries to defeat them, and was in a tenous situation.

Then I realised that my nephew was the Byzantine Emperor and I had Elective succession and controlled all the elector titles. After naming him as my successor my character promptly then got rendered Incapable when he was whacked on the head sieging one of his brother's castles. Then he died.

From King of Bohemia to Byzantine Emperor. I then proceeded to conquer most of Croatia and Georgia before I died and the Empire passed to his child son. Said child son turned out to be really quite good.

I then consolidated my bases, conquered Rome, Alexandria and expanded my borders slightly before launching a Holy War for Jerusalem. After beating the Sejluk and Fatimid Sultanates I then conquered Jerusalem and mended the Great Schism (thanks in part due to the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre - 300 gold donations OP). Currently the game is on that character's son, Kaiser Sezima II, who's in his 50s and probably about to pass the throne on to his son Kaiser Sezima III. The year is 1183, all successions are Ultimogeniture.

Not too bad for a first major-ish game! Screenshot enclosed below, the map doesn't want to upload to imgur for me.

Spoiler

Show

When did you lose bohemia?

[GreenSerpent]

When did you lose bohemia?

Right after I became Byzantine Emperor the HRE decided that they wanted Bohemia. I already had trouble on my eastern borders with the Sejluks, so I let them have it because I didn't want to be the pink Byzantine meat in the middle of an HRE/Sejluk sandwich. Jokes on them now though, I'm marrying my way into a claim on the throne.

[Flickerdart]

Damn, Hungary is getting pounded in that screenshot.

Last time I played as the ERE, I weaseled into a personal union with Hungary right away. They're a great help against the Turk early on, even if they're the wrong culture and religion, and form a perfect springboard into the HRE for when you want to reunite Rome.

[GreenSerpent]

Damn, Hungary is getting pounded in that screenshot.

Last time I played as the ERE, I weaseled into a personal union with Hungary right away. They're a great help against the Turk early on, even if they're the wrong culture and religion, and form a perfect springboard into the HRE for when you want to reunite Rome.

That's actually a Hungarian revolt. I'm using the fact they still have some Catholic rulers to Holy War them into the ground.

The problem is I've lost my alliance with the HRE (kid died) and I've just had to defend against the second Jihad for Egypt. I need my alliance back, but I have no-one marriageable to them.

[Flickerdart]

I need my alliance back, but I have no-one marriageable to them.

Time to go to some ladies' chambers and give them a good tumble.

[GreenSerpent]

Time to go to some ladies' chambers and give them a good tumble.

Kaiser Sezima II 'the Chaste' does not tumble with frivolous wenches, sirrah.

[Flickerdart]

And therein lies the problem.

[ObadiahtheSlim]

Of course this would happen when playing a merchant republic...
One day the Kwisatz Haderach will arise.

[ObadiahtheSlim]

And I've finally done it! The Strong Genius!

[IthilanorStPete]

And I've finally done it! The Strong Genius!

Five bucks says he dies of illness before maturity, 'cause that's how CK2 works.

[Flickerdart]

And I've finally done it! The Strong Genius!

Not Attractive, keep trying.

[Hydranova]

Well, this Rajastan game I'm on is going....mostly good. I've seen both the Seljuks and Ghangavids show up. The Seljuks conquered a fair amount of Persia before being overthrown by someone, and the Ghangavids....well, they showed up with around 80k troops in the late 900s, and as of now stole two duchies in Punjab from me. I've been able to whittle them down to 50k as compared to my (currently) ~40k troops, though it should take some time before I can steamroll them with a well-place Holy War. Year's around 1000 AD, and the only problems aside from the Ghangavids will be conquering the Dravidian Kings, seeing as Indian Subjugations only work for the same culture group.

Other Oddities: The Shia Caliphate has took the entire kingdom of Arabia from the Sunni Caliph, who has conquered most, if not all of, Greece and Anatolia (managed to keep it after a 20-year Crusade, too.) Border-wise, Everything that's not on the Indian Subcontinent is a bloody mess and a pain to look at. France has Italy, Aquitaine is relegated to the southern portion after winning it back in a Crusade awhile ago, East Francia has absorbed Lotharingia, and Central Asia is a land of Counts.

[ObadiahtheSlim]

You wanted attractive? I added attractive. All 3 good congenital traits.

[IthilanorStPete]

You wanted attractive? I added attractive. All 3 good congenital traits.

Nice. Impressive blob, too. That demense income's pretty awesome; how'd you manage that? Blanked on the fact that you're playing a republic.

[Leecros]

Nice. Impressive blob, too. That demense income's pretty awesome; how'd you manage that?

presumably since he appears to be playing a trade republic....


Cities, Cities, and more cities.

[IthilanorStPete]

presumably since he appears to be playing a trade republic....


Cities, Cities, and more cities.

...er, right, I totally saw that.